Sports
PH Club Plans Swimming Clinic
The Vice Captain of Port Harcourt Club Swimming Section, Mr. Ngiangia has disclosed that plans are in the offing for the section to organize a swimming clinic. Mr. Ngiangia, who made this known at a chat with sports journalists during the one-day swimming classic organised by the section on Saturday said the clinic is to further create awareness and discover talents that would be picked by the state for further grooming so that they could represent the state and even the federation in swimming. He said with the 17th National Sports Festival to be hosted by Rivers State next year, it would be a better platform for talent hunt, saying that talents abound in the state but lacks encouragement. The Vice Captain, popularly known as “Bishop” hinted that the just concluded swimming classic was organised to introduce the culture of swimming to members, friends and their families. “Ordinarily, no one should be scared of water as most people are spending their lives in the state”, he charged all to take advantage of these facilities. According to him, if there are better sponsors, such classics would be organised regularly so that the state would produce good swimmers as sponsorship. Also speaking, the secretary of the section, Mr. Cosmos Ekeogu, said swimming is the best exercise for everybody and called on both young and old to develop interest and become a swimmer. Mr. Ekeogu aside the in-house swimming classic, the section plans to organize another swimming competition where sister clubs and others would be invited to participate, appealing to government, corporate organization and spirited individuals to help sponsor swimming because of the strategic nature of the state. Another member of the section and a golfer, Barrister Davie Minimah thanked the organizers of the classic that it would be a platform to catch them young and groom them to stardon, moreso, with the forthcoming National Sports Festival in the state. Barrister Minimah expressed optimism that with these talents, Rivers state would win more laurels in swimming during the festival and called for more commitment by government and companies, so that the state could occupy its rightful position in sports nationwide.
Collins Barasimeye
Iwobi spoke to Tidesports source ahead of Nigeria’s crunch playoff semi-final against Gabon on Thursday, November 13, in Rabat, Morocco.
The 28-year-old was reacting to Nigeria’s shaky World Cup qualifying campaign that saw the Eagles finish second in Group C behind South Africa’s Bafana Bafana.
“We’ve managed to rescue ourselves from the dead,” Iwobi told Tidesports source.
We know we have the players and the abilities to compete against any other country in the world.”
The Fulham star pointed to Nigeria’s star power, highlighting African Footballer of the Year winners Ademola Lookman and Victor Osimhen as proof of the squad’s quality.
“We have last year’s African best player (Ademola Lookman), the year before that (Victor Osimhen),” he said.
“It’ll be a shame if we don’t make it, but we have a lot of confidence. We just have to prove it to ourselves.”
Nigeria’s path to the United States, Canada and Mexico has been turbulent, with two coaches departing during the early stages of qualifying before Éric Chelle steadied the ship to steer the Super Eagles into November’s CAF playoffs.
Four nations from the continent – Nigeria, Cameroon, DR Congo and Gabon – will vie for a solitary spot to compete in next March’s inter-confederation playoffs, with a view to joining the already nine qualified African nations at the Finals.
It would mark Iwobi’s second appearance at the World Cup Finals and the Super Eagles’ first since the 2018 edition of the competition.
Back then, Iwobi featured in all three games as Nigeria was knocked out in the group stage.
The Chief Executive Officer(CEO) and Publisher of the Atlantic Bell Online medium, Mr. Celestine Ogolo has advised sports writers in Nigeria to diversify in sports writing and not to concentrate on football reporting alone.
The Deputy National President of Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) Mr. Bonny Nyong has expressed commitment to support sports development and move SWAN forward.